Chapter 1
Disclaimer: This work is purely fiction and any resemblance to places, people, businesses and events are purely coincidental.
Thank you for tuning in, enjoy the story!
Right stroke. Left stroke. Right. Left. Right.
Alisse watched from the kitchen window as the man’s powerful arms glided through the water with ease, as he swam laps in the huge pool in the backyard of the estate.
He submerged at the far end of the pool only to surface and continue his strokes to the other side. As he neared the edge he came to a stop, hoisted himself up out of the water, and grabbed his towel from a nearby pool chair.
She couldn’t help but watch as the early morning light glinted off the water droplets scattered across his chest and arms, a few sliding down over his abs and dipping lower into the waistband of his swim shorts.
Screw coffee.
A view like this had her wide awake, heart pumping and face flushed, no caffeine or added sugar.
“Good Morning!”
Alisse started at the sudden interruption and turned to smile at the black-haired, olive-skinned ray of sunshine known as Isabella, the housekeeper here at Kenmore Estate where she lived and worked as a personal chef to Mr. Andre Kenmore. Owner and CEO of Annex Realty, a rising star in the real estate industry and well sought after by women everywhere.
The very same broad-chested hottie she was staring at a minute ago and judging by the knowing twinkle in the woman’s brown eyes, Isabella had caught her staring.
“Good Morning Isabella, how are the boys?” Hoping Isabella would take the hint and not mention her ogling the boss, Alisse reached into the cupboard for the coffee beans and put them into the grinder as she awaited a response.
Thankfully she got the hint and the older woman gushed about her two grandsons and their latest bout of mischief. “...and Jared the little devil chased her all about the yard with that frog in his hands!”
Alisse chuckled in response as she put the coffee grinds into a filter and started the coffee machine before grabbing ingredients from the fridge to prepare breakfast. It usually took her boss about twenty minutes to get ready, by then she’d have his breakfast set out on the table.
“So when are you going to tell him?” Isabella asked.
Alisse looked up from the bacon and eggs sizzling in the frying pan and back down again with a shrug. “Tell him what?”
“That you want to jump his -”
“Isabella!”
“What?” The dark-haired woman shrugged. “You know you want to.”
With a click of her tongue, she walked over to the breadbox showing her back to Isabella to hide her flushed cheeks. “I will not tell him that.” She popped the bread slices in the toaster and went back to the scrambled eggs on the stove.
Isabella clicked her tongue in response and tidied the apron around her waist before she pulled the sweeper from the hall closet located just around the corner from the kitchen.
Spotting Mr. Kenmore at the top of the stairs; a mischievous grin stole over Isabella’s face. Quietly, she peeked her head into the kitchen to tease the chef one last time. “Don’t be shy girlie just tell him. You never know what may happen!”
It didn’t matter if she wanted to, Alisse thought to herself. He was her boss; their relationship was strictly professional. Besides the man dated supermodels and actresses, he had a type and she was not it.
With her brown eyes, curly dark brown hair, brown skin, and curves made from good food and dancing, Alisse was naturally beautiful. Not the nipped and tucked golden-haired bombshells her employer was fond of.
Setting the last dish on the table in the breakfast nook Alisse grabbed her water from the kitchen island and rolled her eyes at the woman’s teasing. “I would get fired, that’s what. Which is why I won’t tell him and that’s that.”
“Tell me what?”
Alisse was mid swallow when she heard him. Gasping in surprise, Alisse slapped a hand over her mouth as water rushed down her windpipe.
She coughed into her hand and tried to keep water from spraying over the floor as she caught her breath.
A girlish chuckle was heard right before Isabella vanished, leaving Alisse alone in the kitchen with her boss.
Seconds later a napkin was offered to her and she took it gratefully, wiping the water from her mouth and the moisture from her eyes. “Thank you.” She added, her voice strained from coughing.
She was not surprised when he didn’t respond and instead sat down to his breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast.
If there was one thing other than his looks that she had noticed, it was that he didn’t talk much unless it was about business. He was the silent type, preferring to speak when necessary. One of the many traits that made him into the businessman he was today.
“You never answered my question.” His deep baritone broke into her thoughts, scattering them. What question was he talking about?
Oh, That. “Uh it’s nothing, Isabella and I were talking about her grandsons.”
He reached out a tanned hand to grip his coffee mug and bring it to his lips, taking a sip before nodding and drinking more. “There is something you can’t tell her grandsons because they would fire you? I didn’t realize you were employed elsewhere.”
Alisse closed her eyes in embarrassment as he caught her in a lie. This is why I don't lie, I suck at it.
“Oh, I... I don’t.” Alisse squeezed her eyes shut at her lame response. Time to scram Lis, pronto!
“I uh... have to go and uh... prep for lunch.” She muttered nervously.
He spoke just as she was about to turn and leave. “About that, I’m meeting a client for lunch today. You don’t have to prepare anything.”
Well at least she didn’t have to face him until dinner and by then she would have her wits about her as she usually did. Not this jumbled up mess her brain had come to after he’d thrown her off guard earlier.
“Oh alright. Well, I’ll just uh... have a good day!” As soon as the words left her mouth she escaped from the kitchen and his piercing grey eyes.
Andre watched as she scurried from the room with her head bent, shaking it side to side in embarrassment. Finishing up with breakfast he shrugged on his suit jacket, grabbed his briefcase, and walked out to his car where David waited for him with the back door opened.
As his driver closed the door and settled behind the wheel, Andre nodded a reply to David’s, “Good morning sir.” and pulled out his cell phone to access his emails.
A smile spread across his lips for a few seconds as he recalled this morning’s entertainment. It was getting harder and harder to keep his hands off Alisse. Her sweet and oddly charming nature had drawn his attention wholeheartedly, no matter how many women he went out with.
His cell buzzed in his hand with an incoming call from his secretary, and Andre put aside thoughts of his chef and picked up the call. It was time to start his workday.
